


Strange coffee

by Dandelion (yukitsubute)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Car Accidents, Coffee Shops, Fluff, Get Together, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Stephen Strange, M/M, Romance, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 21:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18290246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukitsubute/pseuds/Dandelion
Summary: When there is no free place in Tony‘s favourite coffee shop, he has to share it with this weird arrogant guy...





	Strange coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the ironstrange bingo. Prompt was coffee shop :) I hope you like it :) 
> 
> Comments and kudos are loved.

Tony walked down the street, his eyes still half closed. He was awake – but somehow he wasn’t. He had worked the whole night, and now he needed his personal drug – a big cup of caramel coffee. It had become his daily routine. Around 8am he left his apartment to get to the small coffee shop not far away from his home.

 

Tony took a deep breath when he entered the shop. The smell of fresh made coffee let some energy flooding through his body, but of course he needed more. He needed a big cup of the hot liquid.

 

“Hello Mr. Stark,” the young guy at the counter greeted him. Of course they knew him already. He was a daily guest after all. “Double caramel latte and a cinnamon roll?”

 

“Exactly.” Tony smiled, giving the man a thumb up. “Thank you Ben.” He took the newspaper from the counter and looked around. Each and every desk was occupied – that couldn’t be. Not when he wanted to have his breakfast together with reading the news. He scanned the places where at least one seat was empty. 

  
There was this family with two little children – no, definitely not. Tony liked children, but not before he didn’t even had his first coffee.

 

On the other side was this young lady with her mirror and lipsticks, make up and eye shadows on the table – oh god no.

 

Next to the entry there sat a man, also reading the newspaper, a hot cup of tea on the table. Tony wasn’t a fan of tea, but the man didn’t seem too interested in others, so maybe he’d just sit there without talking to him? He could at least try it. “Excuse me,” Tony said and stepped to the man. “Is this seat empty?” 

 

The man looked up, and Tony could swear that he had never seen such intense eyes before, though the guy didn’t appear all over friendly. “Sure,” he only said before he got back to his newspaper and didn’t spend any more attention to Tony. It was exactly what Tony wanted, but normally he was the one who didn’t want to interact with people, and who would be annoyed if someone would talk to him, but experiencing it the way round was rare. It bothered him. Why? Because he was a loner, he had hardly any friends, and he liked the fact that someone talked to him while he was having his coffee – but he would never openly admit it.

 

“Here is  your coffee and the roll, Mr. Stark,” Ben said with a smile when he placed the things in front of Tony.

  
“Thank you Ben,” Tony replied, taking the spoon to mix the caramel with the coffee. “Everyone needs a strong coffee in the morning, right?” He said to the man opposite.

 

He looked up at Tony, pulling one eyebrow up. “No.” With that he looked back in his newspaper, ignoring Tony completely.

 

No? What did this guy think who he was? “You drink tea?” Tony asked again. His stubbornness to get this man talking with him awoke.

 

The guy sighed, but finally looked up at him. “Obviously.” He had his hands crossed, now still looking at Tony.

 

“What?” Tony asked. 

 

The guy cocked his head to the right. “I thought you might asked something again, disturbing me while reading. So I thought I wait till you are done.”

 

“I don’t want to ask anything further.” Tony took his newspaper and opened it, puling it up to hide his face behind it. He didn’t want to show the other that he was blushing.

 

~~~

 

The next day Tony entered the coffee shop he immediately saw the guy sitting there again, reading. They had left without saying something further the day before, and Tony had been annoyed because of the arrogance of this guy almost the whole day, but somehow he found himself sitting next to him again on this day. “Tea again?” He asked.

 

The guy looked up and around in the shop. “There are empty tables around.”

 

Tony shrugged. “This one is more comfortable.” 

 

The guy’s lips tugged into something like a small smile before he looked back in the newspaper. “Okay.”

 

~~~

 

After two weeks it had become something like their routine. Tony would enter the coffee shop, taking place next to the man – whose name he still didn’t know – and they’d sit there, reading, till one of them would leave.

 

It sounded strange, but it was something Tony looked forward to every day. Even though they never talked with each other, they had something like a bond. So it was just naturally that Tony was deeply disappointed when the man wasn’t in the shop on this morning. Nevertheless he took his coffee and cinnamon roll and sat closely to the French window to have a good look at the street. Maybe the other was just late on this day.

 

Tony waited longer than he’d stay on a normal day, but the man didn’t appear, and also on the following day, following week and following month he didn’t appear in the coffee shop. It made him almost freaking out. He was worried, and it sounded so stupid to be worried about someone he didn’t even know. 

 

“Ben, good morning,” Tony said when he came back to the coffee shop on the morning exactly one month after he had seen the guy for the last time. “I have a weird question.”

 

“Good morning Mr. Stark,” Ben greeted him happily. “What do you want to know?”

 

“There was this guy I always sat with. And he didn’t come here for a longer time now. Do you know where he is?” Tony asked.

 

“No, Mr. Stark, sorry. But I can tell you that he is a doctor in the hospital over there. I sometimes see him with his white doctor coat at lunch time,” Ben said.

 

Tony’s heart made a jump. “Thank you, Ben. I take a coffee and a black tea with milk to go.”

He would go and search for the guy in hospital – it was at least a tiny chance to find him there.

 

Tony felt like a nervous teenager when he walked into the hospital. How the hell should he find the man here? He stopped at the reception and smiled at an elderly woman there. “Hello, I am Tony Stark, and I have a weird question. I am searching for a doctor who always visits the coffee shop over there.” Tony pointed at the shop on the other side of the street.

 

The woman smiled at him. “Mr. Stark, we can’t give you information about our staff.”

 

Of course she’d say this. Tony somehow knew it.”Hm,” he leaned against the counter. “I think I am able to donate more for this hospital. Maybe you need a new building? More staff?” He couldn’t believe that he was really doing this? It was his trump – always. But he hardly used it, because he felt that it was slightly unfair, but now he wanted to find the other.

 

At first the woman just sighed, but when a second woman stepped behind her, whispering something in her ear, she stood up. “Follow me.”

 

Tony walked right behind her through corridors till they were in the intensive care unit. She pointed on a shield right next to a door and walked away without speaking to him. Tony could imagine what the other woman had told her outside. Tony was one of the biggest investors of this hospital after all. He looked through a window at the door and his heart almost stopped. He had awaited that he’d find the doctor working there, but he lay in the bed, fumbling with something in his hands. Tony didn’t know if he should really step into the man’s private space. They didn’t know each other after all. He scanned the shield. Dr. Stephen Strange was written on it. So this was the mysterious man’s name.

 

He knocked and waited till he heard an annoyed sounding ‘yes’ before he entered the room. He could see the astonished expression on the other’s face, followed by a small blush. “What the hell are you doing here?” Stephen asked.

 

“I thought you might like some black tea with milk,” Tony said, raising the cups in his hand. At least he had something like a ‘get well present’. Or so…

 

“How the hell did you find me? I never told you my name…” The man sounded really, really annoyed, but Tony wouldn’t give in now.

 

“I am Tony Stark, I find everyone if I want to.” He wanted to make a joke, but somehow regretted it immediately. Stephen didn’t seem to understand jokes well.

 

“You are a stalker?” He asked. 

 

“No, no, god no.” Tony waved his hand. “I missed you in the coffee shop, even though we didn’t talk much with each other, so I asked Ben about you, and he told me you are a doctor, and then I came here and asked for you, and because I am investor of this hospital I was able to find you.” 

 

Stephen raised his eyebrow. “Fine. Peel that banana for me.” He held it in front of Tony, his whole expression still annoyed, but Tony wasn’t sure if it was only because of him. He took the fruit and looked closely at Stephen’s hands. They were shaking and Tony was sure that he wasn’t able to peel it because of that. 

“Sure,” Tony said and did like he was asked to. He sat on the chair next to Stephen and handed him the banana. “What happened to you?”

 

Stephen took a bite and Tony could see the banana in Stephen’s hand shaking. Something terrible must have happened with him. “I had an accident.”

 

“I am sorry to hear that. How long will it take till you’re healthy again?”

 

Stephen grunted. “I will never be the old me again. But I guess I deserve this fate.”

 

“Why do you think this?” 

 

Stephen looked at Tony, and for the first time since one month Tony knew what he had missed. These incredible eyes.

 

“I was a complete asshole – and maybe I still am. Maybe this happened because I always thought just of me and no one else.”

 

“Nah, I also think just of me, I don’t think you deserve that. I really enjoyed your accompany,” Tony said honestly.

 

“But we didn’t talk with each other,” Stephen replied.

 

“Well, that’s technically right, but I never had the feeling that I was unwelcomed.”

 

“But you were,” Stephen complained. “You just didn’t go away and I lived with it.”

 

“Oh.” Tony bit his lower lip. “You should have said something.”

 

Now Stephen laughed. “I don’t think you would have gone away.” He looked down at his shaking hands. He didn’t seem strong and arrogant like he had always been in the coffee shop. Stephen was broken and tired. He looked so tired. “And beside that I really enjoyed it, because my colleagues couldn’t imagine that I meet with someone who doesn’t run away.”

 

“You need a lot more than being arrogant to make me run away,” Tony laughed.

 

“Thank you,” Stephen sounded honest. 

 

“How long do you need to stay here?” Tony asked. This room was horrible – sterile and just ugly.

 

Stephen shrugged. “I could go home, but with my hands I need some help.”

 

“And?” Tony wanted to know. He couldn’t imagine why someone would stay here when there was the chance to leave.

 

“I don’t have much help, so I stay here, where they have to help me.”

 

Tony gulped. He was a little bit afraid of his own thoughts, but he had to spill it out. It felt right deep inside him. “If you want, you can come along with me. I have enough space in my tower. You don’t even need to see me. I have a AI, she can do everything for you, being your help.” 

 

Stephen blinked. “You know, I would normally call that creepy, but after being over a month in this hell here, I would love to get out of this. Even though I might end dead because you are a serial killer.”

 

Tony grinned. He took a sip of his coffee. “It’s settled then. I will prepare the guest room for you.”

 

~~~

 

It had been two months since Stephen had moved in, and for Tony’s surprise it was nice to have him around. They changed their habit and sat in Tony’s living room, reading the newspaper while drinking coffee and tea. They still didn’t really talk with each other – but that was just in the morning. The rest of the day, when they’d be at home, they had a nice and balanced shared apartment. And indeed even Tony had realized that he had been rather lonely alone at home.

 

“I need to hold a presentation today, but later in the afternoon I would bring something to eat, if you want,” Tony said.

 

“Sounds good. I would love to eat Chinese, just…” Tony knew what Stephen meant. His hands were still shaking and eating Chinese food without chopsticks wasn’t the same, especially for someone proud like Stephen.

 

“Hm, how about I bring Chinese food along, and we try it?” 

 

After a few seconds Stephen nodded at him. “Okay, as long as we eat here, I want to try it.”

 

“Finally you become a little more positive;” Tony chuckled. He had seen every state of Stephen’s moods during the last month. From happy to depressed, from angry to content and he was sure that he had even heard him crying in his room once, but he had never asked him about it. 

 

“Thank you, Anthony, really,” Stephen suddenly said, and it sounded relieved and honest. “Before my accident I couldn’t imagine being close with someone again, and that I would be able to like someone.”

 

Like? Tony’s heart jumped. He stepped closer and brushed Stephen’s cheek. It didn’t feel wrong, not a single bit. “I bring a lot of food and we watch some Grey’s anatomy okay?”

 

“Oh god, this horrible soap,” Stephen whined. “Bring popcorn and nachos, otherwise I won’t survive that.”

 

Tony chuckled. “Sure.” 

 

~~~

 

Tony packed the chips, nachos and popcorn in a bag and added two big bottles of coke and some whiskey to it. He had already called the Chinese restaurant and would grab the food right on the way home.

 

He was a little nervous because of the movie night, even though they had watched a lot of stuff during the last month. But with the weird situation in the morning he was all bubbly what would happen tonight. And he had asked himself if he wanted something more from Stephen – and he had always come to one lasting answer: hell yes!

 

~~~

 

“I am back,” Tony yelled through the apartment, angling with the two bags in his hands.

 

“Welcome, Tony,” Stephen said, already waiting in the living room. He had placed the dishes on the table and some bowls for the chips and popcorn.

 

“Put the unhealthy stuff in the bowls, I am preparing the food for us,” Tony said. He handed Stephen one bag.

 

When he returned to the living room, Stephen had already prepared everything for the perfect movie night. Tony placed the food on the table and handed Stephen the chopsticks. He didn’t tell him that he had knife and fork in his bag, just in case it wouldn’t work out. 

 

Stephen took the chopsticks and Tony could see his hands started shaking slightly more than usual. He took the sticks between his fingers and tried to catch some food with it, but he failed. Tony robbed closer and placed his hand over Stephen’s. “Let me help.” 

 

He counted with Stephen to snap at him, because his hands were a difficult topic, but for his surprise, Stephen let him. With Tony’s touch, Stephen’s hands got calm and he was able to take the food on the chopstick and to his mouth. After two or three tries Stephen could eat without Tony’s help. It was a huge step – Tony knew that.

 

Later in the evening Tony was already snoozing away on the couch while Stephen still complained how unrealistic grey’s anatomy was. Tony could feel his head sliding to the side but he was already too tried to look up. It must have been one hour later that he had woken up and he sat up with burning cheeks. “I am sorry,” he said to Stephen, who sat next to him, still watching TV.  Tony was hugging Stephen, his head on the other’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to get that close to you.”

 

“I don’t care, really,” Stephen laughed. “It actually feels pretty nice.” Tony was sure that Stephen was blushing. “I mean, I am not that alone anymore.”

 

Tony smiled. He knew exactly what Stephen meant. He leaned closer again, resting his head against Stephen’s shoulder and wrapped his arms back around Stephen. “Shall we visit our favourite coffee shop tomorrow?”

 

“Sounds good,” Stephen said and Tony could feel Stephen’s lips on his forehead, placing a kiss there. “Everything sounds good – too good to be true.”

 

Tony smiled, tightening his grip around Stephen. “Too good and true,” he murmured and snoozed away again, feeling like a new life had started for him.

 

 


End file.
